Renewable Energy: RK Singh gives nod for early regulatory approval of 66.5 GW RE projects

As a part of steps to fulfill the commitment made by India under the Nationally Determined Contribution pursuant to the Paris Agreement on Environment, the government has decided to set up 175 GW of RE capacities in the country by the year 2022. An official statement said that Union Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy RK Singh has approved a proposal for early regulatory approval by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) for transmission schemes identified for 66.5 GW National Renewable Energy Mission projects.

The ministry order said, "As a part of the steps necessary to fulfill the commitment made by India under the nationally determined contribution pursuant to the Paris Agreement on Environment, Government of India have decided to set up 175 GW of RE capacities in the country by the year 2022."  As of May 2019, about 80 GW of RE generation has already been commissioned and the balance 95 GW would be accomplished in the next 3 years. 

In order to achieve the said targets, MNRE in consultation with CEA and Central Transmission Utility (CTU) has identified transmission schemes for around 66.5 GW of RE generation, comprising around 28 GW under Phase-I and around 38.5 GW under Phase-II as part of National Renewable Energy Mission of setting up of 175GW of RE capacity, said the statement.

"As the gestation period of RE projects is much shorter in comparison to the implementation period of the transmission facilities, and significant quantum of RE capacity targeted to be tendered out in the current financial year, it is necessary that the present system of transmission planning and implementation for RE projects need to be carried out in Mission Mode," said it, adding "The transmission activities need to be started much ahead of the generation so that both of them are completed in matching time-frame to achieve the target set by Govt. of India."

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The government is said to accord the identified transmission schemes for aforementioned 66.5 GW of RE generation, comprising around 28 GW under Phase-I and 38.5 GW under Phase-II as “Projects of National Importance”. The Central government has issued the requisite directions to the CERC for accomplishing these projects, according to the statement.